Business: 10 November 2005, Thursday.

Bulgaria has the potential to turn into a major golf tourism destination, where seasonal peculiarities give golf players from seven to nine months to enjoy their favourite game, according to a Spanish expert.

Manuel Ferry Sanchez, CEO of Ferry Group, Spain, talked at the RINFOR Real Estate & Investment Forum, which is taking place in Sofia.

Sluggish administration and the parceling out of land are the heaviest difficulties that investors in golf courses face in Bulgaria, Sanchez said during the discussion "Golf tourism - exotic hobby or profitable investment?".

Over the last twenty years golf has gradually gained popularity in Spain, which now boasts 737 golf courses on its territory.

Bulgarian experts say it is feasible to project the construction of up to fifty golf courses in a radius of 50-60 kilometers off Sofia.

Bulgaria plans to construct 40 golf courses up to 2020, the cost for the maintenance of each set at 40, 000 euros.

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